adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
accostverbUS /əˈkɔːst/
speak to someone
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
after-life
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
astonishedadjectiveUS /əˈstɑːnɪʃt/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
awayadverbUS /əˈweɪ/
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
bodynounUS /ˈbɑːdi/
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
ByprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
causingnounUS /ˈkɑːzɪŋ/
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
citynounUS /ˈsɪti/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
corpsenounUS /kɔːrps/
the dead body of a human being
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
deathnounUS /deθ/
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
decayedadjectiveUS /dəˈkeɪd/
damaged by decay; hence unsound and useless
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
disintegratingverbUS /dɪˈsɪntəɡreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “disintegrate” — break into parts or components or lose cohesion or unity
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
doorwaynounUS /ˈdɔːrweɪ/
the entrance (the space in a wall) through which you enter or leave a room or building; the space that a door can close
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
eitherdeterminerUS /ˈiːðər/
one or the other of two
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
emotionnounUS /ɪˈmoʊʃən/
any strong feeling
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
emptinessnounUS /ˈemptinəs/
the state of containing nothing
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
fallingadjectiveUS /ˈfɑːlɪŋ/
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
furniturenounUS /ˈfɜːrnɪtʃər/
furnishings that make a room or other area ready for occupancy
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
generationsnounUS /ˌdʒenərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “generation” — all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
ghostsnounUS /ɡoʊsts/
plural of “ghost” — a mental representation of some haunting experience
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
girlsnounUS /ɡɜːrlz/
plural of “girl” — a young female
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
gutted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
hallowedadjectiveUS /ˈhæloʊd/
worthy of religious veneration
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
happinessnounUS /ˈhæpinəs/
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
HousesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
ifconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
longeradverbUS /ˈlɔːŋɡər/
for more time
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
memoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
open-eyedadjective
carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
perishes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
picturesnounUS /ˈpɪktʃərz/
plural of “picture” — a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
PlacenounUS /pleɪs/
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
quietlyadverbUS /ˈkwaɪətli/
with low volume
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
regionsnounUS /ˈriːdʒənz/
plural of “region” — the extended spatial location of something
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
roarverbUS /rɔːr/
make a loud noise, as of wind, water, or vehicles
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
roomnounUS /ruːm/
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
round-topped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
rumbledverbUS /ˈrʌmbəld/
past form of “rumble” — make a low noise
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
scarcelyadverbUS /ˈskersli/
only a very short time before
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
slipsnounUS /slɪps/
plural of “slip” — a socially awkward or tactless act
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
spiritnounUS /ˈspɪrət/
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
springnounUS /sprɪŋ/
the season of growth
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
stoodverbUS /stʊd/
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
thirtynounUS /ˈθɜːrdiː/
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
ThroughprepositionUS /θruː/
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
thusadverbUS /ðʌs/
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
tragicadjectiveUS /ˈtrædʒɪk/
very sad; especially involving grief or death or destruction
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
unfamiliaradjectiveUS /ˌʌnfəˈmɪljər/
not known or well known
From this reading It had decayed in the spring, disintegrating the girls more than they knew, and causing either to accost unfamiliar regions.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
vannounUS /væn/
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading Through its round-topped doorway passed furniture, and pictures, and books, until the last room was gutted and the last van had rumbled away.
variouslyadverbUS /ˈveriəsli/
in diverse ways
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
voidadjectiveUS /vɔɪd/
lacking any legal or binding force
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
waysnounUS /weɪz/
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
weeknounUS /wiːk/
any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading It stood for a week or two longer, open-eyed, as if astonished at its own emptiness.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
Wickham
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Houses have their own ways of dying, falling as variously as the generations of men, some with a tragic roar, some quietly, but to an after-life in the city of ghosts, while from others—and thus was the death of Wickham Place—the spirit slips before the body perishes.
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading By September it was a corpse, void of emotion, and scarcely hallowed by the memories of thirty years of happiness.
